Business of Sport Pablo Longoria, Marseille President: ‘Rebuilding a European Football Giant’ (Ep.90)
Today, we’re delighted to welcome Pablo Longoria to the show. Pablo is President of french football giant Marseille, marking a welcome venture for us into European football! Make no mistake, this is a huge club steeped in history, the most passionate fans, and a global brand. Managing all of this from a business perspective is a serious job. Then of course add into it the need to create a winning team on the pitch to drive it all, and that is the challenge that faces Pablo.
From scout and technical director to club President, his route to the top is unique in itself. The approach is absolutely ‘results first’. They have compiled a squad with a strong balance of youth and experience, including former Premier League players such as Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Pierre-Emile Hojbjurg, and of course Mason Greenwood, whose controversial transfer is covered in this chat as we look at how Marseille are approaching the transfer market. The broader challenges for the club extend into the chaotic media landscape of french football and the challenge with competing against the biggest and established leagues with less financial clout.
Deep insight into top top level football is not abundant. This is a fascinating reveal of what is takes to run one European football’s most iconic organisations.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
05:01 Pablo Longoria’s Path to Football Executive
08:18 Joining Olympique de Marseille
10:12 The State of Marseille When Pablo Arrived
11:37 Revenues: Ticketing, Security, Food & Beverage
20:19 How On-Pitch Success Drives Business Growth
21:56 Pablo’s Role in Player Recruitment
24:52 What People Get Wrong About Football Managers
28:41 Football Director vs Manager: What’s the Difference?
29:42 Managing Transfer Market Inflation
39:33 How Fans Influence Transfer Strategy
43:29 Learning from Transfer Mistakes
45:45 Where Marseille Fits in the Football Pyramid
49:22 Inside France’s Evolving Media Rights Landscape
53:53 The Competitive Imbalance in French Football
55:09 How CVC’s Investment Impacts French Clubs
56:37 Winning vs Profitability Under U.S. Ownership
01:01:26 The Concentration of Value in Top Leagues
01:07:18 Underinvestment in Technology Across Sport
01:10:49 Where Marseille Aims to Be in Five Years
On today’s show we discuss:
The Business of Modern Football:
How Pablo is leading one of Europe’s biggest clubs through the most challenging media landscape in decades.
Why Champions League qualification changes the balance sheet by up to 40%, and how to plan when your core revenue can fluctuate by €80 million.
How Marseille balances community accessibility, with tickets as low as €12, against the commercial pressures of competing at Europe’s top table
Building for the Long Term:
Why sporting performance is the engine behind every revenue stream.
The psychology of team-building and Pablo’s “building-floor” theory explaining why some players succeed and others fail.
How De Zerbi’s arrival marked a turning point for Marseille and what true alignment between coach, sporting director and CEO looks like
The Media Rights Revolution:
What the collapse of French TV rights means for clubs across Ligue 1.
What leagues can learn from the Premier League’s ability to globalise its product
Transfers & the Future of Football:
Why Marseille’s recruitment strategy focuses on age profiles others overlook and how to find value.
Why he believes football must evolve from a “sports industry” to an “entertainment industry” to survive the next decade
A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show:
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